


Two Rings

by bleak_midwinter



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Blackmail, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Prostitution
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 14:34:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17727035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleak_midwinter/pseuds/bleak_midwinter
Summary: Michael's wife Anna and her friend thought they'd left their old lives behind, until the very overseer of that life appears at the door demanding cash for his silence. Desperate to keep Michael from discovering who she really is, Anna turns to a drastic measure to keep her secret.





	Two Rings

**Author's Note:**

> This story may be potentially upsetting to some as it features around the life of an ex-sex worker, although it’s not the main theme of the story it’s likely to contain certain aspects that may upset some people, so please use your discretion when reading.

I never planned to lead the life I have. Never intended to end up on the streets working corners, eventually ending up under the ‘protection’ of Richard. I’d never intended to rob the place and flee to Birmingham either, but sometimes life takes turns no-one expects. And it had continued that way when I met Michael Gray, married him and shut my old life firmly behind bolted doors never to be thought of again.

At least, that’s what I had intended until Richard appears on my doorstep, dressed dashingly enough that his seedy personality and profession would seem unbelievable if you knew no better.

“Evening lovely,” he says with a smile, removing his hat and slicking his dark hair back as he takes advantage of my shock and pushes through the front door. “Been a long time,” he continues, making his way through my house and into the living room. “Oh well this is just fate ain’t it lovely? Jane’s here as well!” Richard walks over to Jane who sits, as bewildered as I am, in the high backed armchair. “Saves me an extra journey. Cracking. Now move,” he orders, gesturing for Jane to evacuate her chair.

“Jane, don’t-“ I start, but the habitual need to follow Richard’s orders, the fear he spent months instilling into our psyche, is still strong enough that she shoots out of her chair and across the room before the words even leave my mouth.

“No need to be like that lovely, I bet she’s ‘ere all the time, being married to a Peaky lad, I’m a guest ain’t I? And I’m getting on a bit, you won’t begrudge me the comfy chair will you Jane?”

She shakes her head, face pale as she wrings her hands nervously in her lap.

“You’re not a guest Richard. Don’t think you can get comfy here, Michael will be back soon,” I say, placing a comforting hand on Jane’s shoulder. This is my house and despite the churning in my stomach, the wrenching of nerves and fear, I need to at least paint a strong and commanding exterior.

“Ahhh Michael.” Richard plucks a folded piece of paper from his jacket and flicks it between his fingers. “Is he a Mike? Or a Mick? Maybe a Mickey with that baby face-“

“Why are you here Richard?” I interrupt, eyes never leaving the paper now gripped in his fist.

“You know, I did you a lot of favours lovely. And you can’t say I didn’t,” he adds quickly, catching the twitch of an argument on my lips. “I took you in when you were nothing, when you were vermin crawling the streets and I gave you shelter, food, a clean change of clothes, steady income and protection. I transformed you. And you-“ he points to Jane, leaning forward to glare at us, “don’t even get me started on what I did for you. But what did I get for all that, lovely? Ay? Well you fucking robbed me didn’t you?”

"Anna," Jane whimpers.

“I earned that-“

“Earned,” Richard scoffs. “Earned by arse, all you ever had to do was lie on your back and suck a few dicks, you’re lucky you got everything you did.” He waves his hand and reclines in the chair, the folded paper reappears between his fingers. “Forget all that, you robbed me of much more than you were entitled to even by your workings didn’t you? But what did I do when I found out? I let you go with it, as a favour to my favourite girl. And now…”

Before he even says it, I know what’s coming next. I was never going to outrun Richard, I may have had a chance on my own, fled further than Birmingham, escaped far enough that my old life could never resurface. But I’d taken Jane with me, the broken girl, little more than a child who’d clung to me for protection and affection, the girl who’d fallen in love and stalled our fleeing for long enough that I’d fallen in love too. We’d had a good run, Richard’s voluntary ignorance had let us set up a life - but now it was time to repay that favour.


End file.
